How Can Diabetes Affect Your Pregnancy?

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If you are suffering from diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2) and planning to conceive your child, then there are certain aspects about which you need to be more cautious. Conceiving while having diabetes can not only be complicated and difficult for you, but also for your unborn baby.

The silver lining in this dark cloud is that it is possible to have a healthy and safe pregnancy even when you are diabetic. Proper planning and alertness during your pregnancy period can make life easy for you and your baby.

How Can Diabetes Affect Your Pregnancy?

Though it may not be a complex pregnancy in all cases, there are more chances to have problematic pregnancy when you are diabetic.

You might face the following problems if you are pregnant and suffering from diabetes:

Chances of miscarriage or losing your baby at birth.

You may have Babies born with heart defects, kidney problems or nerve and brain defects.

Not experiencing a full term delivery and giving birth to premature baby.

Your newborn baby can be either underweight or overweight.

Chances of baby having low blood sugar level at birth.

Baby suffering from jaundice at birth.

You have to be very careful when you are planning your pregnancy.

6 Things You Should Know To Have A Healthy Pregnancy With Diabetes:

It is very important for to you to consult with your doctor before conceiving. You get to know the pluses and minuets of having a healthy pregnancy with diabetes. Following are the issues on which your doctor will diagnose you and provide the necessary counseling:

1. Your Weight:

It is of utmost important to be in the ideal weight bracket while you are trying to conceive.

It becomes almost obligatory to have ideal weight, when you are suffering from diabetes.

If your BMI (body mass index) is more than 27, you should definitely try to reduce your weight so that there are fewer complications in your delivery.

Also, if you are underweight then you should gain the minimum weight required.

2. Important Lifestyle Changes:

When you are getting ready to start your family, it is necessary to have healthy habits.

Consuming alcohol or smoking cigarette should be a complete no-no.

Your doctor will tell you how harmful this could be for your unborn baby.

Thus, quitting these habits will be the best solution for you.

3. Blood Sugar Level:

As you are suffering from diabetes, your doctor will check your blood sugar levels and ask you to get them in control before you conceive.

If your sugar level is not in control, during the initial days of pregnancy it can cause severe defects in your unborn baby.

Moreover, if you were taking any tablets to control your diabetes till date, your doctor will now ask you to switch to insulin injections. Medicines are considered to be unsafe for your unborn baby.

4. Need for Physical Exercise:

Blood sugar level has a negative correlation with physical exercise. The more exercise you do, the better for your sugar level.

You will have to decide daily to do any kind of physical activity which is comfortable and with your doctor’s approval.

Also, remember that you should have some amount of food before you exercise so as not to have dangerously low level of sugar.

5. Changes In Meal Plan:

Drastic changes will be made to your diet plan as now you have to take more calories for your baby too and also control your sugar.

Thus, it is advisable to seek your doctor’s help in designing a meal plan in such a way that there is no volatility in your sugar levels.

Also, as much as possible, include fruits and vegetables in your diet plan.

6. Prenatal Vitamins:

Just like any other pregnancy you should see to it that you consume the necessary vitamins and supplements.

The most important vitamin for you will be folic acid which your doctor will recommend you to consume throughout your pregnancy.

Make sure that you do not consume any medicines or supplements without consulting your doctor.

It is not impossible to have a safe pregnancy when you are suffering from diabetes. It requires a lot of patience and proper education to sail through easily.

We hope you find this information useful. Do share with us if you think there are other important things to know for diabetic patients.